ADHD Checklist for Teachers

ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is an affliction that generally starts to show signs early in children. ADHD makes it difficult for kids to focus on what they are doing and to restrain inclinations that may be inappropriate at the time. Teachers should become familiar with the warning signs for ADHD to better understand their students.

Organization and Appearance

• Students with ADHD do not put much effort into keeping their things organized, because they have difficulty staying on task long enough to do so. ADHD students may look disheveled, papers and books may be strewn everywhere and their thoughts may seem incoherent at times.

Noise

• Excessive noise is another sign of ADHD. Students with the disorder sometimes get very loud when they are playing or talking. They might yell when talking would suffice. This can result in loud arguments if the ADHD student disagrees or wants to do something other than what has been directed.

Manners and Control

• ADHD often makes students act as if they have no manners. They might interject their own comments into conversations that they are not a part of or say something aloud at an inappropriate time. ADHD students might also say hurtful or random things because they do not have the ability to clearly understand and focus on what they are saying.

Lack of Thought

• ADHD students may have trouble thinking clearly as they cannot focus on what they are doing clearly. They might answer questions wrong even when you know they understand and should know the answer. They might say things simply to say something. They might fail to do the work required of them and get into trouble as a result, because they have not thought through the consequences.

Inattention and Impatience

• Students with ADHD have trouble paying attention to things regardless of how big or small they are. They grow tired with activities after short periods of time and are ready to try and do something else. Even if the activity or assignment is something they typically enjoy, the student may abruptly want to do something else and seem very impatient.